Jesus Comforts His Disciples
"Don't let your hearts be filled with worry and fear. You trust in God—trust in me in the same way. In my Father's house, there are many places to live. If this weren't true, I would have told you honestly. I am going there to get a place ready for you. And after I go and prepare this place for you, I will return and bring you to be with me, so that you can be where I am. You already know the path to reach the place I'm going."
Jesus the Way to the Father
Thomas spoke up and said, "Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we possibly know the way to get there?" Jesus replied, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except by going through me. If you had truly known me, you would also know my Father. But from this moment forward, you do know him and you have seen him."
Jesus and the Father Are One
Philip spoke up and said to Jesus, "Lord, if you would just show us the Father, that would be all we need." Jesus answered him, "Philip, I have been with you all this time, and you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you don't come from myself alone. The Father lives in me, and he is the one doing his works through me. Believe me when I tell you that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If you can't believe my words, then believe because of the miraculous works you have seen. "I tell you the absolute truth: anyone who believes in me will do the same works that I am doing. In fact, they will do even greater things than these, because I am going back to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it, so that the Father will be honored through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it."
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
Jesus continued speaking to his disciples: "If you truly love me, you will obey what I have commanded you. I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Helper who will stay with you forever. This Helper is the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it cannot see him or know who he is. But you know him, because he lives with you now and will live inside you. I will not abandon you like children without parents. I will come back to you. Soon the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I am alive, you will also have life. When that time comes, you will understand that I am united with my Father, that you are united with me, and that I am united with you. The person who has received my commands and follows them—that person truly loves me. Anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father. I will love that person too, and I will show myself clearly to him."
Jesus Explains His Revelation
Judas, who was not the same Judas that betrayed Jesus, asked him a question. "Lord, why will you show yourself to us but not to everyone in the world?" Jesus answered him by explaining how this revelation works. "Anyone who truly loves me will obey my teachings. When someone does this, my Father will love that person, and both my Father and I will come and live with them. We will make our home in their heart and life. "But whoever doesn't love me will not obey what I teach. And you need to understand something important about these words you're hearing from me—they don't come from me alone. Everything I'm telling you comes directly from my Father, who sent me here."
Jesus Promises Peace and Departure
"I have told you all these things while I am still here with you. But the Helper—the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and help you remember all that I have said to you. "I leave peace with you. I give you my own peace. The peace I give is not like what the world offers. Don't let your hearts be upset or afraid. You heard me tell you that I am going away, but I will come back to you. If you truly loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. "I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe. I won't be talking with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. But he has no power over me. I do exactly what the Father has commanded me to do, so the world will know that I love the Father. "Get up! Let's leave this place."